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Cal Baseball Defeats Rhode Island, 7-6, in 11 Innings

BERKELEY, CALIF. - For the second game in a row, junior second baseman Josh Satin was the offensive hero as he knocked in the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the 11th inning to lead the California baseball team to a 7-6 win over Rhode Island Friday at Evans Diamond. The Golden Bears, who had a seen a 6-0 lead slip away, improved to 11-11, while the Rams fell to 1-10.

Satin, who hit the game-winning, two-run single on Tuesday at UC Davis, had the opportunity to be the star again with the help of two Rhode Island errors. Freshman center fielder Jeff Kobernus led off the 11th reaching first of a throwing error by Ram third baseman Shaun Hagey. Senior third baseman Stephan Carlson followed with a sacrifice bunt to Rhode Island first baseman Ryan Cunningham, who threw wildly over the head of second baseman Oliver Palmer to allow Kobernus to third and Carlson to second base. Ram reliever Jamie Degidio (0-1, 2.0 innings, one hit, one unearned run, one walk) was then forced to walk sophomore first baseman David Cooper to load the bases, setting up Satin's heroics with his hard-hit single past Rhode Island shortstop Dan Rhault.

Cal had jumped out to a 6-0 lead by scoring four runs in the bottom of the first and single runs in the fourth and sixth innings. In the first inning, Cooper and Satin had two-out singles, and scored on junior designated hitter Jordan Karnofsky's two-run double. Sophomore left fielder Ryan Hanlon then hit his third home run of the season with a shot over the left field fence. The Bears added a run in the fourth when Carlson plated sophomore Charlie Cutler after grounding into a double play, and a run in the sixth on a ground out to second by Carlson.

Rhode Island came back to send the game into extra-innings by scoring three runs in the seventh, a run in the eighth and two runs in the top of the ninth. After shutting out the Rams through the first six innings, including retiring 14 straight batters at one point, Cal starter Tyson Ross (7.0 innings, seven hits, four runs, one walk, eight strikeouts), gave up three runs in the seventh when Cunningham hit a two-run homer and Rhault had an RBI single. Rhode Island added another run the eighth on an RBI double by Cunningham off of Bear sophomore left-hander Craig Bennigson. Finally, the Rams tied the game, 6-6, when Bennigson yielded a two-run homer to designated hitter Eric Larson.

The winning pitcher for Cal was sophomore right-hander Matt Gorgen (1-1), who picked up the victory when he threw the final 2.1 innings with two hits, no runs, no walks and three strikeouts. Gorgen had a big play in the top of the 10th inning when he picked off Cunningham, and Scott Brown was thrown out by Satin trying to advance to third.

Satin finished the game 3-for-5 with a double and the game-winning RBI. Kobernus, Cooper, Hanlon, freshman right fielder Blake Smith and Cutler all had two hits apiece. Cunningham was 3-for-4 with a double, home run and three RBI for the Rams.

Cal will next host Rhode Island in the second game of the three-game series, Saturday, Mar. 17 at 1 p.m. at Evans Diamond.